When STARZ
offered the first season for free for a week when the next season was ready to
start, I watched it and got hooked. That’s when I decided to go back and read
the book before I continued watching the series. I haven’t seen season 2 yet
but have finished the second and third book so I’m ahead of the series at
least. I’m holding out for the free week again but don’t know when that will
be.
At the same
time a fellow blogger, Lauren from American Duchess, had designed two patterns
for Simplicity from this series. I
attended a class she put on at Costume College about the costumes and patterns too.
In an
earlier post, I showed the fabrics and patterns I’d bought to make one of the
rustic middle-class dresses Claire wears in the series. I liked the
earthy-tones and less-dressy look of them. I don’t often get to wear tartan or
not so dressy, and was determined to make one.
Lauren tried
to impress on us that they weren’t totally period correct and how to fix that.
She also wanted us to take a look at the middle to upper class dress also. Hmm,
maybe this for next time? I do love caracos. I have a fabric in my stash I can
use if I decide to do that.
My
bum pad was finished using her pattern, then I made the chemise also. I bought
a really nice weight linen from F&S Fabrics online and am very happy with
it for my tartan dress but would like something much finer for a later version.
It went together very easily. I made the neckline ruffle a bit narrower as
recommended, and I love the ruffles around the sleeve cuffs.
With that
out of the way, I cut my tartan fabric into two lengths to become the petticoat
aka skirt. I was just going to pleat it into a waistband. This all got set
aside as LIFE became busy and costume events came up that I wore things I had
already made.
The other
night I pulled out the fabric again, cut a waistband and then set down to start
pleating. Except something didn’t feel right. What was it? Oh duh! My brain was
in Victorian-mode, and I was trying to do a side opening skirt with the
waistband attached. This was Georgian, and it’s supposed to have openings on
both sides that are just tied closed, and you can reach inside to your pocket
that’s tied around your waist. *Shown here by Lauren of American Duchess http://americanduchess.blogspot.com/ * So it’s
not really a real waistband but just something to attach the pleats to. On my
underpetticoat I just used twill tape as the waistband. It cuts down on the
bulk, especially if you’re using wool.
Apparently
when I cut and sewed the side seams of the skirt, my brain WAS in the right
mode, because I had sewn it with the side openings. All this time traveling can
wreak havoc on you sometimes.
BTW,
speaking of pockets; look at these lovelies that the Colonial Williamsburg
Foundation is selling in their shops. They’re making them from the fabrics they
sell for only $14. These are full size adult ones not the smaller child’s one. So,
if you don’t have the skill, or time, to embroider one, there you go. I’ve even got some colonial-period fabrics
that I could make my own from.
They
have some really pretty reproduction fabrics too. If you look at these long
enough, you will be able to see similar fabrics that can work in regular fabric
stores. I know I’ve seen some in Michael Levine’s in the Los Angeles Fabric
District. http://shop.colonialwilliamsburg.com/custitem14/Reproduction-Fabrics/custitemmp_cwf_webstore_cat_1/18th-Century
I have my
own pocket cut out from a nice white linen, but have yet to purchase some
embroidery floss to begin working on it. I started tracing one pattern on mine
but I’m still not happy with it. At least that’s water soluble pen so I can
change it. I think I’m going to be putting some cotton behind it after I’m done
because it doesn’t look very sturdy, even though the linen is. And I will want
to protect my stitches. I’m also
going to bind the edges with a colored binding like American Duchess did on
hers. I like how it looks finished and has a pretty contrast color.
After the
skirt is done, which should happen in a couple days, I can start on my bodice.
I first intended to use the Simplicity pattern, which American Duchess posted
how to hack it to make it period correct, but then I remembered my JP Ryan
pattern that is already fitted to me, and is correct, and there I am, being
lazy. I’m all excited to start cutting my blue linen now for it. I haven’t
decided if I want to do the straight edge at the bottom, or like the skirted
one in the blue bodice Claire wears but I’m leaning towards it. I noticed when enlarging
that photo, her stomacher looks like it was just made from the same blue
fabric, so it’s nothing fancy. That fabric is also a wool, so I’d bet the
stomacher made of it is probably a lot warmer than a linen embroidered one
would be. Hey, smart me! Not that it ever gets cold enough in Southern
California.
All
this flurry of activity comes from being notified that our next Costumed
Walkabout theme at the Del Mar Antique Show in November will be cosplay: from
any TV/movie series, comic book characters, etc. So, I have someplace sooner to
wear this than just for Costume College next July. A virtual kick in the bum
pad, so to speak. I only hope our weather begins to cool off by then. At least
my bodice is linen but I’ll have that pretty knitted shawl I can wear if it is.
And you’ll
never guess what I found while digging in my costume closets for stuff to sell
at our costume guild’s annual costume sale? Things I had used from the
Highlander Games in Vista, CA, years ago. I wonder if I can do anything with
them now?
~~Val~~
